This invention relates generally to popcorn poppers and more specifically to an automatic popcorn popper which has selectable load capabilities for popping various differently sized loads of corn.
Popcorn is mass-produced for sale at movies and other events in commercial popcorn poppers which generally include an enclosed, transparent cabinet containing a tiltable kettle suspended above a catch area or platform. The kettle is heated and uncooked popcorn kernels are placed therein to be cooked and popped. Oil, salt and other flavorings might also be added to the kettle for flavoring the corn in the popping process. Once the kernels are popped, the kettle is tilted, either manually or automatically, and the popcorn spills onto the platform to be scooped up, packaged and sold to customers.
As may be appreciated, depending upon the customer traffic at a particular facility and at the point of sale, different rates of corn production may be desired. It is generally preferable to have fresh batches of popped popcorn ready corresponding to customer traffic and customer needs. Not only does a batch of popcorn taste better when sold immediately after being popped, but also the aroma of the popping corn provides an olfactory incentive for the customer to purchase popcorn. At the same time, large amounts of popped popcorn should not be left sitting in the cabinet too long, so as to possibly become stale.
To that end, it is desirable for a facility""s operator to be able to control the popcorn production rate to tailor that rate to the specific customer traffic and other needs at the point of sale. Various commercially available popcorn poppers operate either by providing a selected amount of time for a load to pop, and then indicating that the load is complete, or providing a more sophisticated and accurate temperature control of the kettle such that a load of corn is indicated as finished when the kettle temperature reaches a desirable set point coinciding with completion of the popping process. Sophisticated temperature control machines, such as those offered by Gold Metal Products Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,000,318; 5,871,792; 5,743,172; and 5,694,830, generally have variable batch times for cooking different size loads of popcorn.
A facility operator will often be faced with heavy customer traffic periods, such as right before a set of movies is to start, followed by slower periods while the movies are playing. During the busy periods, the facility operator will want to increase the popcorn production rate, and thereby increase the size of the popcorn loads poured into the kettle.
As a result, it is one objective of the present invention to provide improved apparatus and/or methods to pop popcorn continuously in consecutive batches with minimal attention by an operator.
It is a still further objective of the invention to reduce the delays between fresh batches of popcorn attributable to lack of attention by the operator.
Still further, it is an objective to provide the proper and consistent temperature to the kernels as they cook to ensure proper popping conditions and to maximize the popcorn yield per unit of kernels.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other shortcomings and drawbacks of popcorn poppers and methods of popping uncooked popcorn kernels heretofore known. While the invention will be described in connection with certain embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention includes all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The invention addresses the above-listed objectives by providing a popcorn popper comprising a kettle for containing corn to be popped. A heating system for heating the kettle to pop the corn includes at least one heating element or, alternatively, a plurality of heating elements, thermally coupled to the kettle to heat the kettle. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the rate of heat delivered to the kettle is controlled by controlling the rate of heat generated by the heating element or elements. To that end, a heat control system is operably coupled to the heating element, and a selector switch is coupled to the heat control system. The selector switch has multiple selectable states or settings for selecting one of multiple rates of heat to be delivered to the kettle by the heating element. In that way, different size batches of corn might be cooked efficiently by varying the amount of heat, or rate of heat, delivered to the kettle to cook the various batches of corn.
In one embodiment, a plurality of heating elements are selectively turned ON an d OFF through relays based upon a selected state or setting of the selector switch. The selectable states of the switch are reflective of various amounts of corn or various size batches that are to be popped. By turning different numbers of heating elements ON and OFF, the rate of heat delivered to the kettle is selected.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the heat control system includes a temperature controller for determining when the heating elements will be turned ON through one or more of the relays. A sensor thermally coupled to the kettle inputs a signal to the temperature controller. If it is desirable to heat the kettle, the relays are energized based upon the selected state of the selector switch, and power is delivered to the selected heating elements. If the kettle has reached a temperature set point, the temperature controller effectively de-energizes the relays to prevent power from being delivered to any of the heating elements.
In an alternative embodiment, another relay might be interposed between the temperature controller and the heating element relays to remove power to those relays, such that the temperature controller determines when the heating elements are to be powered, regardless of whether the relays are energized or not.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an oil delivery system is coupled to the selector switch for selecting one of varying amounts of oil to be delivered to the kettle in conjunction with selecting the rate or amount of heat to be delivered to the kettle. Indicators, such as visual indicators, are operable for providing a humanly perceptible indication corresponding to the selected state of the selector switch and the size of the batch of corn to be cooked. High limit switches, or high limit sensors, coupled to the temperature controller, are utilized for preventing the heating elements from exceeding the high limit temperature.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the heat control system comprises a phase control system to control heat delivered to the kettle. The phase control system is operable for selectively adjusting portions of power cycles that are delivered to the heating element for thereby varying the amount of heat generated by the heating element. The selected portions of the power cycles to be delivered to the heating element are determined by the state of the selector switch.
In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the heat control system comprises a power cycle control system which is operable for varying the number of power cycles delivered to the heating element within a time period. This thereby varies the amount of heat generated by the heating elements within that time period. Based upon the selected state of the selector switch, the number of power cycles delivered to the heating elements within a time period is selected, for thereby selecting a heating rate for the kettle corresponding to the batch size of corn in the kettle.